The Whispers of Rock is a personal journey through aeons of geology

The Whispers of Rock
Anjana Khatwa, The Bridge Street Press (UK); Basic Books (US, available 4 November)

Rocks often go unappreciated in our daily lives. How frequently do we consider the materials beneath our feet, or ponder the pebbles we collect at the beach?

Moreover, how often do we acknowledge the significant role of geology in nature literature and crucial discussions on our warming planet? To tackle climate change and safeguard the future of Earth, our actions must reflect our relationship with its natural foundations.

Fortunately, earth scientist Anjana Khatwa provides insights into this connection through her remarkable book, The Whispers of Rock: Stories from the Earth. Presented as an “exhilarating journey through deep time,” it serves as a heartfelt tribute, passionately penned to evoke deep emotional responses. Khatwa’s dedication lies in educating the world about geology, combining emotional depth with scientific clarity.

In the book, she meticulously explains various geological phenomena, from how mountains and craters form to the intricate interplay of different materials. For instance, readers discover that the Taj Mahal, an emblem of love, was crafted from Makrana marble, whose origins trace back to nearly 2 billion years of tectonic shifts. This complex history interweaves tectonic movements with the contributions of ancient cyanobacteria to produce the rock that constitutes this iconic edifice.

Once the scientific groundwork is laid, Khatwa artfully animates the tales of rocks and minerals, breathing life into their narratives more vividly than any classroom geology lesson. In Petra, Jordan, she encourages readers to appreciate the negatives spaces formed from rock-carved structures, revealing the unexpected beauty that lies within. Amidst landscapes of sandstone and quartz, she poetically describes how the rocks whisper, “the patterns you see are remnants of ancient rivers.” Through her words, the rocks become Khatwa’s friends—and soon they are ours, too.

Khatwa’s fascination with rocks began in her childhood, exploring solidified lava terrains in south-east Kenya. Through her writing, she takes the reader on a global expedition across epochs, ultimately arriving at her home in Dorset, UK, where the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and its 185 million years of geological legacy surround her.

This journey haunts us with the realization of how rocks have influenced both her own life and our shared world. We explore the massive sarsen stones of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, delve into the science and lore surrounding New Zealand’s pounamu greenstones, and navigate the complex racial and political narratives of the Black Belt in the U.S. South, once dominated by cotton plantations and affected by the forced displacement of Indigenous peoples.

What elevates this book further is Khatwa’s intimate sharing of her journey. Her openness about the challenges of motherhood and faith resonates, particularly as she reveals the lack of diversity in her industry—one of the most homogeneous fields within the UK.

She candidly describes feeling “moulded into a different person by the whiteness of the settings I worked in,” where her cultural and spiritual identity often took a backseat to her scientific self. This book is essential for anyone grappling with similar dualities, and it offers insights for those seeking to understand these tensions. We support Khatwa as she tightly holds onto her rocks while navigating the spaces of belonging and exclusion.

The Whispers of Rock is brimming with information, encouraging readers to pause after each chapter for contemplation. Khatwa intentionally stirs the pot, acknowledging at the outset that her fusion of science and spirituality might unnerve some audiences as it deviates from typical expectations. However, this provocative stance ignites a genuinely thought-provoking journey.

Dhruti Shah is a journalist based in London